5 Things You Need To Break Into Advertising

Theresa HowardSports cars lined the Croisette and hotel parking lots of Cannes.
Want a piece of the glamour showcased last week at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival? Join the industry that often requires long days, frustrating meetings, back-stabbing and political jockeying. On the bright side you have the chance to help change the world with great ideas and creativity.

If you want in here's what you need to do:

1. Get a thick skin. A majority of ideas are developed and created but never see the light of day. Be ready to be disappointed but be able to move one.

2. Make something. With social media and digital tools anyone looking to break into the business can write, create or shoot video, commercials and create web sites and have it ready to show.

3. Be social. Come to the table with a sound social plan and following for your own brand and make sure it's a mix of channels of the biggies: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or Tumblr.

4. Bring a different point of view. As technology and mediums cross into each other's territories, learn as much as you can from different industries and experiences that you can apply to the industry.

5. Geek out. Maybe you're a creative and like to write or design, but introduce yourself to the analytics of the business. As data becomes an increasingly important part of the business, understanding results and creating for impact will make you stand out.

"It's a fun day job to have," says Stephanie DiGianvincenzo, associate creative director, with Wunderman in London. "It's not always as glamorous as it looks from the outside but we do get to do some really cool stuff. We get to play around with new technologies, come up with ideas to invent stuff, go to interesting locations and meet really interesting people. And that beats the hell out of working in an accounting firm. "